Let's Do Some LST

    Dry/Cure Goals ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🚫 No Direct Air Movement on the Buds ⬇️️ Maintain Drying Room Temperature to 65°F / 18°C ⬆️ Maintain Drying Room RH to 60% ⏱️ Hang Buds for about 11-12 Days 🌦️ Begin Curing at 12-13% Moisture Content ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾       🌦️  Dry/Cure Day 4    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The buds from the first day of trimming are now at a point where they can be test smoked. There is still a minty moist chlorophyll taste, but the terpenes are starting to emerge.    Breaking up the nugs and smoking them wet is a great way to monitor bud moisture.       🌦️  Dry/Cure Day 8    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The smallest stems are beginning to make a snapping noise. This is traditionally thought as the 13% moisture point. These go into the curing bags. Only a few more days until the larger buds are ready for curing. The buds are smoking better, but still have a bit of a “steamy” toke from the moisture content.         🌦️  Dry/Cure Day 12    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Larger buds are ready for curing. Most of the chlorophyl has degraded and the terpenes are finally allowed to shine through. Some extra buds that happened to dry out too fast have slight hint of hay and zero terpene smell. Looking at buds from the final day of trimming, they are hitting quite smooth for lagging a few days behind. No snapping noise yet. Also, when sampling I notice that the bud creates “dental floss” when trying to pull apart from the stem. This indicates more drying is needed.       🌦️  Begin Curing at 12-13% Moisture Content    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My local public library has the below book in digital form via a 3rd party online book service. It recommends curing in paper sacks or boxes cardboard with lids. The book specifically recommends AGAINST curing in sealed containers such as glass jars. Previously I used canning jars, which apparently contributed to a mushy “I wonder if it's dry" ammonia-smelling weed.     Marijuana Harvest: How to Maximize Quality and Yield in Your Cannabis Garden   by Ed Rosenthal, David Downs   https://a.co/d/hOjICYX   Below are the book’s recommendations for moisture content.    Drying ends: 14-15%    Curing ends: 11-12%    Pleasant smoke: 10-12%    Harsh dry smoke: 10% or less The moisture meter (see Week17) has been a bit disappointing. I ran across a study that detailed drying and curing practices in the industry. The takeaway? Even within professional circles, curing is still an art rather than a science. The audible snap of the stems is still the gold standard of 12-13% moisture content. No fancy meters yet.    Postharvest Operations of Cannabis and Their Effect on Cannabinoid Content: A Review    www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/9/8/364 As recommended, I have removed the stems and moved the initial batch of trimmed buds to paper grocery bags after verifying the audible snap of the stems. The bags are barely closed using a single binder clip, while still allowing excess humidity to vent. These paper bags are stored in the drying room where conditions will remain the same. From here, I cure for another two weeks.       🌦️  Long Term Storage    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Once cured, buds will be long term stored using glass jars including 62% Boveda humidity control packs. Although it is true that the curing process does continue during long term storage, I NEVER dry/cure using Boveda packs. Bovedas are for storage only. For the first time, the air inside the jars will be replaced with inert gas used for preserving wine. Nitrogen gas has always been a popular wine preserver; it comes in a can that looks like a keyboard duster. I am now seeing Argon Gas Wine Preserver on amazon as well! Unfortunately, neon gas must still be sourced from a gas supplier.         🚜  Final Weight    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 6 plants using 5 gallon containers    Cola Buds 352 grams (12.5 ounces)   Smaller “B” Buds 101 grams (3.5 oz)         🚜  My Next Diary is Now Published    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am 4 weeks into my next grow diary, and Week G is now published. I will quickly release weeks 1/2/3/4 every few days to bring the diary current.       I am growing the classic strain Green Crack (aka Green Kush). This is a 10 seed pheno hunt and only 1 of them will be used for a future homogenous clone run.               Green Crack: My First Pheno Hunt       growdiaries.com/diaries/173238-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble                             ________________________________________________________________________________                      I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing